Public Consultation on Harvest Strategy for Snapper and Grouper Fisheries

Snapper and grouper fisheries are essential food sources for humans. Economically, snapper and grouper fishing is a US$1.3 billion business involving more than 10,000 vessels and more than 200 companies in Indonesia. Indonesia receives more than 500 million US dollars annually from this fishery sector alone. With an investment of this magnitude, the management of snapper and grouper fisheries, in particular, is vital.

Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Wahyu Trenggono has established the Snapper and Grouper Fishery Management Plan through KEPMEN KP Number 123 of 2021. "This determination provides political attention and support and manages this fishery target more seriously." It was conveyed by Dr. Ridwan Mulyana, Director of Fish Resource Management, Directorate General of Capture Fisheries at KKP, in his remarks at the Public Consultation on Snapper and Grouper Harvest Strategy at WPPNRI-713 in Yogyakarta on 16 June 2022.

In line with the determination of the Snapper and Grouper Fishery Management Plan, preparing the Harvest Strategy as a derivative of the Snapper and Grouper Fishery Management Plan was carried out in WPPNRI-713, which covers the Makassar Strait, Bone Bay, Bali Sea, and the Flores Sea. The WPPNRI-713 Snapper and Grouper Fisheries Harvest Strategy were initiated in 2019. This Harvest Strategy has been set interim in 2020. The preparation of the Harvest Strategy is supported by the USAID Supporting Nature and People–Partnership for Enduring Resources (USAID SNAPPER) activities through Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN).

The Harvest Strategy provides more detailed information than the elaboration of the fisheries management plan and forms the basis of the adaptive management cycle. It was described by Dr. Ferry Suytawan, Coordinator of the Inland, Territorial, and Archipelagic Marine Fish Resource Management Group, when leading the discussion at the Public Consultation, which was attended by the Provincial Marine and Fisheries Service, academics, fisheries associations, companies and fishing communities at WPPNRI-713. "This Harvest Strategy introduces restrictions on the minimum size limits of snapper and grouper that can be caught and provides guidance when the Spawning Potential Ratio (estimated number of fish remaining in the sea) is below 20 percent specifically for WPPNRI-713," he added.

This public Consultation received support and constructive feedback from the fishing community to improve the document. Some crucial inputs that can be noted are how the implementation is carried out, especially the reduction of fishing effort and the implications for small fishermen. The involvement of fishermen and fisheries actors in fishery data collection will ensure support from the fisheries sector for applying the rules of the game for fisheries management," said Glaudy Perdanahardja, Senior Technical Manager, YKAN Fisheries Conservation Program.

Public Consultation is a communication process of dialogue or deliberation between interested parties to reach an understanding and agreement in fisheries management planning for the public interest. Therefore, public Consultation is a method of formulating and determining the policy framework for snapper and grouper fisheries management. Methods with an open and participatory approach in designing and deciding a policy are the most crucial part of the public consultation process. This process will produce recommendations for improving the draft strategy document for the use of snapper and grouper fisheries in WPPNRI-713.